The Vein of Your Existence: Are Varicose Veins Hereditary?

There are some great things that can be passed on from a parent to a child including hair color, eye color, height, and even your intellectual ability in some cases. However, there are other things that are a bit more unfortunate to pass on from person to person including baldness, certain forms of cancer, and you guessed it, varicose veins. This article will discuss some factors, including genetics, that will increase your risk of getting varicose veins.

Weight

Adding to the list of unfortunate things to pass on from family member to family member, obesity is not only genetic, but it also contributes to varicose veins. If you have a family history of obesity and you are overweight, you are more likely to get varicose veins. The good news about this, however, is that if you lose a lot of weight, your varicose veins will likely dissipate as well.

Female Pride

There are a million and one reasons why it’s good to be a female, but susceptibility to getting varicose veins isn’t one of them. Common predominantly amongst women, varicose veins are one of those things— including that time of the month and cellulite— that you wish just didn’t exist. So if you are a female whose mother and grandmother have varicose veins, you can bet your bottom dollar that you are going to get them at some point as well.

Age

Aging is a beast. Not only does it mean that your skin starts sagging and your vision starts blurring, but it also means that you are more susceptible to getting varicose veins. By limiting the flow of blood to your veins and causing them to clog, varicose veins primarily thrive in individuals who aren’t as young and active.

Varicose veins are painful and unsightly. If you have a family history of varicose veins, you are more likely to get them. To learn more about varicose veins, causes, and treatments, contact Dr. Heeringa at Northern Michigan Vein Specialists today.

There are some conditions that are nice to know whether they are hereditary or not— that way they don’t just pop up on you out of nowhere.